Instant ticket redundancy via multi-chromatic indicia

Abstract

A redundantly printed security-enhanced document, printing method and system ensure the meaning of the information imparted by variable indicia printed by redundant printing on the document with removable scratch-off coatings. By printing the variable indicia with multiple colors, redundancy and integrity of the intended indicia is achieved. Additionally, inverted color indicia countermeasures to pinprick attacks are also disclosed. The redundantly printed document, methods and systems enhance the overall appearance of the redundantly printed document, and reduce possible consequences resulting from misprinted variable indicia. The resultant printed process color indicia maintains a grayscale equivalent level of a process color greater than or equal to the measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A redundantly printed security-enhanced document comprising: a substrate having a surface; printed variable indicia that provides variable information regarding the document, the printed variable indicia comprising first variable indicia and second variable indicia that are printed on a common area of the substrate surface, the at least first variable indicia comprising a first component color, the second variable indicia comprising a second component color, each of the first and second component colors having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to a measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, the first and second component colors being present so as to be printed in register to produce a common process color indicia, the common process color indicia having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to the measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, such that the failure of the printing of any one of the component colors on the common area does not alter a meaning of the information represented by the printed variable indicia on the redundantly printed security-enhanced document. 
     
     
       2. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the first variable indicia and the second variable indicia comprise two component colors. 
     
     
       3. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the variable information regarding the document comprises an intended value of the document. 
     
     
       4. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the common process color indicia comprises an alpha-numeric character. 
     
     
       5. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the common process color indicia comprises an icon or figure. 
     
     
       6. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the first variable indicia is different from the second variable indicia. 
     
     
       7. The document of  claim 6 , wherein the first variable indicia comprises a numeric value. 
     
     
       8. The document of  claim 7 , wherein the second variable indicia comprises letters representing the numeric value. 
     
     
       9. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the first variable indicia is the same as the second variable indicia. 
     
     
       10. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the first variable indicia and the second variable indicia each include a plurality of spaced apart lines. 
     
     
       11. The document of  claim 10 , wherein the first variable indicia and the second variable indicia are positioned on the substrate such that the plurality of spaced apart lines alternate between the first variable indicia and the second variable indicia. 
     
     
       12. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the first variable indicia and the second variable indicia are aligned such that the first variable indicia is positioned inside the second variable indicia. 
     
     
       13. A redundantly printed security-enhanced document comprising: a substrate having a surface; printed variable indicia that provides variable information regarding the document, the printed variable indicia comprising a first component color and a second component color that are printed on a common area of the substrate surface, each of the first and second component colors having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to a measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, the first and second component colors being present so as to be printed in register to produce a common process color indicia, the common process color indicia having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to the measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, such that the failure of the printing of one of the first and second component colors on the common area does not alter a meaning of the information represented by the printed variable indicia on the redundantly printed security-enhanced document. 
     
     
       14. A redundantly printed security-enhanced document comprising: a substrate having a surface; printed variable indicia that provides variable information regarding the document, the printed variable indicia comprising a plurality of component colors printed on a common area of the substrate surface, the component colors having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to a measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, the component colors being present so as to be printed in register to produce a common process color indicia, the common process color indicia having a grayscale equivalent level greater than or equal to the measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%, such that the failure of the printing of one of the component colors on the common area does not alter a meaning of the information represented by the printed variable indicia on the redundantly printed security-enhanced document.